(One of the mucky mucks at AOL made a statement about having to pay out a million dollars in insurance for a child that was born prematurely-it also had something to do with a new 401k plan the company was to introduce but I don't care about that part of the story.......)

What is a 'distressed baby' and when did the preemie tag get changed?

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Everytime I hear and see names/tags/titles get changed I have to stop, listen and try and figure out WTF people are talking about.

Like the health care "navigators" you can call to get help.

Navigate? No, I just want someone to answer my call and help me.

Growing up, drunks were drunks.

Now we have to call them "abusers" because they might be hurt and maybe start to 'self medicate'?

Really?

I read an article by one of the parents of his so-called "distressed babies" - and that is a term that :Mucky-Mucky" made up. She was born scarily premature, in what was otherwise a perfectly normal pregnancy, She is now happy and healthy, thanks to advances in medicine that did not exist 50 years ago. And while her parents are thankful every day that she is here, and were horrified watching the bills mount up as she fought to survive, they do not appreciate one bit being used as a scapegoat or the butt of a joke.

The story about the giraffe in Denmark makes me very sad. If they needed to prevent inbreeding, and they felt they had enough giraffes, could they not have transferred him to another zoo? Or "swapped" giraffes with another zoo to change the genetic pattern? I don't get it.

I've been Boo'd... right off the stage!

Aaahh, I have been defrosted! Thank you, Bonny and Asiel!
Brrrr, I've been Frosted! Thank you, Asiel and Pomtzu!

"That's the power of kittens (and puppies too, of course): They can reduce us to quivering masses of Jell-O in about two seconds flat and make us like it. Good thing they don't have opposable thumbs or they'd surely have taken over the world by now." -- Paul Lukas

The story about the giraffe in Denmark makes me very sad. If they needed to prevent inbreeding, and they felt they had enough giraffes, could they not have transferred him to another zoo? Or "swapped" giraffes with another zoo to change the genetic pattern? I don't get it.

I will never be able to eat rye bread again without thinking of Marius. Animals lives are too short to begin with, why kill when he could have a life elsewhere?

I've Been Boo'd

I've been Frosted

Today is the oldest you've ever been, and the youngest you'll ever be again.

I read an article by one of the parents of his so-called "distressed babies" - and that is a term that :Mucky-Mucky" made up. She was born scarily premature, in what was otherwise a perfectly normal pregnancy, She is now happy and healthy, thanks to advances in medicine that did not exist 50 years ago. And while her parents are thankful every day that she is here, and were horrified watching the bills mount up as she fought to survive, they do not appreciate one bit being used as a scapegoat or the butt of a joke.

My point was about the term he used, not about the insurance or bills!

The bills - w/o coverage -would have wiped out that family. I don't know of anyone that could afford a bill like that.

My hospital stay was in the low 6 figures and that would have forced me to go into hiding over the costs, so I cannot imagine what the bills are like WITH insurance that covers only a portion of a hospital stay like that.

Is there a full moon today? I've had a very topsy-turvy kind of day. People hurrying around, things that should be clear not making sense.

I've been Boo'd... right off the stage!

Aaahh, I have been defrosted! Thank you, Bonny and Asiel!
Brrrr, I've been Frosted! Thank you, Asiel and Pomtzu!

"That's the power of kittens (and puppies too, of course): They can reduce us to quivering masses of Jell-O in about two seconds flat and make us like it. Good thing they don't have opposable thumbs or they'd surely have taken over the world by now." -- Paul Lukas

This is post number 24,000 for me! I want to use it to say how thankful I am for all the very special people, kitties, dogs and pets of Pet Talk! You are the best of the best!

I've been Boo'd... right off the stage!

Aaahh, I have been defrosted! Thank you, Bonny and Asiel!
Brrrr, I've been Frosted! Thank you, Asiel and Pomtzu!

"That's the power of kittens (and puppies too, of course): They can reduce us to quivering masses of Jell-O in about two seconds flat and make us like it. Good thing they don't have opposable thumbs or they'd surely have taken over the world by now." -- Paul Lukas

I heard on news radio today that in Illinois there is no restriction on the size of the campaign sign(s) you can put up in your yard, and no restriction on how long before or after an election you can have them on display. Does that mean I could have a five foot high "Shadrach Bond for Governor" sign? He was the first governor of the state of Illinois and was succeeded by Edward Coles in 1822. They tend to "grow" close to the berm as election day gets closer (the primary is March 18th).

I've been Boo'd... right off the stage!

Aaahh, I have been defrosted! Thank you, Bonny and Asiel!
Brrrr, I've been Frosted! Thank you, Asiel and Pomtzu!

"That's the power of kittens (and puppies too, of course): They can reduce us to quivering masses of Jell-O in about two seconds flat and make us like it. Good thing they don't have opposable thumbs or they'd surely have taken over the world by now." -- Paul Lukas

I heard on news radio today that in Illinois there is no restriction on the size of the campaign sign(s) you can put up in your yard, and no restriction on how long before or after an election you can have them on display. Does that mean I could have a five foot high "Shadrach Bond for Governor" sign? He was the first governor of the state of Illinois and was succeeded by Edward Coles in 1822. They tend to "grow" close to the berm as election day gets closer (the primary is March 18th).

I'm so mad at GM right now. I have a 2005 Saturn Ion which is subject to two different recalls - one for the ignition switch and one for power steering (with which I've already had a problem and had a repair made). GM's Web site asserts that the cars remain safe to drive, but I'm not entirely sure about that. I just went from 73,999 to 74,000 miles yesterday and I'm hoping to get at least another 18 months with this car. GM waited almost a year before they went public with this and I think they're still not being totally honest about it.

I've been Boo'd... right off the stage!

Aaahh, I have been defrosted! Thank you, Bonny and Asiel!
Brrrr, I've been Frosted! Thank you, Asiel and Pomtzu!

"That's the power of kittens (and puppies too, of course): They can reduce us to quivering masses of Jell-O in about two seconds flat and make us like it. Good thing they don't have opposable thumbs or they'd surely have taken over the world by now." -- Paul Lukas